Osteochondrosis is one of the most common, well-studied, but difficult to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. These are not just back pain and a lot of discomfort: over time and if left untreated, osteochondrosis can lead to the development of serious deformities and significantly reduce a patient’s standard of living. Therefore, it is very serious to take this seemingly fearless disease even at the first signs.
Symptoms
Osteochondrosis very often remains undiagnosed for a long time. Osteochondrosis syndromes may not even directly point to the spine, masking other diseases. And the patient "suppresses" the pain syndrome with painkillers, blaming migraine for everything - at best, and at worst - he is being treated for a completely different disease, and he has not seen any improvement for years.
In the initial stage of the disease, osteochondrosis is manifested only by minor pain and discomfort after intense physical activity or long sitting in an awkward position at a table. The disease develops over the years, gradually all the symptoms intensify. Characteristics characteristic of the osteochondrosis of the thoracic region include:
- numbness and tingling in the limbs. Especially after a long stay in one position or sleep. This is one of the first signs of a spine problem. After rubbing, numbness and discomfort pass quickly and do not cause severe discomfort;
- feelings of cold, goose bumps on the skin in the area of the hands, often - hands or individual fingers, less often - in the affected area of the back;
- painful feelings often have a "wrong" localization. Pain can appear both in the area of the affected area of the spine, and radiate (give) to the area of the chest, similar to the pain in heart diseases, when breathing. Therefore, when osteochondrosis is diagnosed in the presence of pain in the heart area, an ECG will be a mandatory study - to rule out ischemic disease. Also, pain is often given to the scapular area (intercostal neuralgia) or the left arm;
- painful feelings often intensify at night;
- also the patient often suffers from migraine-like headaches. They may appear on one side of the head and cover the whole head;
- general decrease in well-being, mood;
- osteochondrosis of the thoracic region is rarely accompanied by spinal cord compression. But if this happens, the symptoms will be more pronounced: the feelings of pain become strong, accompanied by serious disorders of the internal organs.
All the symptoms of osteochondrosis are the result of compression of the nerve roots that run along the spinal column. Depending on the area and degree of compression, the symptoms can vary greatly, so at the first suspicion of osteochondrosis it is very important to do instrumental studies and make a correct diagnosis.
Osteochondrosis of the thoracic region rarely occurs on its own - the thoracic region is inactive and less stressed, most often this disease is combined with cervical osteochondrosis.
Methods of treating osteochondrosis
Like all degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system, osteochondrosis is very difficult and long to treat - there is no simple and quick cure. You should be prepared for this. It is impossible to undo degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs. The ideal option is to stop the development of the disease in the initial phase, when osteochondrosis does not impose any restrictions on the patient's lifestyle. In the earliest stages, it is enough to adjust the patient's lifestyle a little: increase physical activity and make the diet complete. But it is extremely rare to make a diagnosis at the very beginning of the development of pathological changes.
The traditional complex of osteochondrosis therapy includes:
- Drug therapy. . . It consists of several components:
- with severe pain syndrome, the patient is prescribed painkillers. These are most commonly nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opiates and opioids are used less frequently. They are stronger, but have many limitations in their use;
- a mandatory part of treatment is taking supplements and vitamins that strengthen the skeletal system;
- muscle relaxants help relieve muscle tension. But it should be said that without constant exercise in medical gymnastics, taking muscle relaxants is strictly contraindicated;
- taking chondoprotectors helps to speed up the recovery process in the affected area, although the attitude of experts towards such drugs is very ambiguous.
- Drug-free treatmentis much more important for the successful treatment of osteochondrosis.
- first of all, one should concentrate on the systematic and proper implementation of the corrective gymnastics complex. Exercise therapy is aimed at strengthening the muscular corset around the spine, accelerates local blood circulation and regular exercise can significantly improve the patient's condition;
- Physiotherapy treatments help relieve muscle pain and tension. They act in the same way as anti-inflammatory pain relievers, but have far fewer contraindications;
- massage. Traditional therapeutic massage and many alternative methods are practiced, the main selection criteria being professionalism of specialists and consultation with a doctor;
- manual therapy;
- traction (traction therapy) on a special simulator. Gentle spinal traction allows you to relieve muscle tension and reduce symptoms caused by nerve root compression;
- you should also change your approach to your diet, make it more balanced.
Therapeutic exercises for osteochondrosis of the chest
You can do medical gymnastics in a special room in the hospital and at home. The more frequent and regular the sessions, the greater the efficiency will be. It is recommended to perform classes several times a day, the obligatory part of the complex are morning exercises. Each workout should last from 5 (in the first phase) to 40 minutes, the number of repetitions of each exercise should be from 5 to 20. Here is an approximate set of exercises:
- Lie on your back, the surface must be flat and firm, for convenience you can place a mat for the gym. Bend your knees, then simultaneously stretch your knee toward your nose and your head toward your knee. Hold on to the upper point for a few seconds, return to the starting point, change leg;
- Universal exercise - known to everyone from a small "cat". Stand on all fours with your head down. As you inhale, bend your back as much as possible and raise your head. Then, as you exhale, bend your back and lower your head;
- In the middle of the work day, you can take a break for a simple exercise: alternately raise each shoulder as much as possible, while while one shoulder is raised, the other is lowered;
- Sit on a chair so that the backrest reaches to the shoulder blades (a normal office chair will do the same), press your back firmly against the back of the chair. Then raise your arms and bend your upper back as much as possible;
- Make a few circular motions with your arms as wide as possible. It is performed while sitting on a flat hard chair or standing;
- Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart. Fold your arms behind your shoulders under your shoulder blades. Bend as much as possible in the thoracic region, resisting with your hands;
- Also, from a standing position, hunched over as much as possible, the chin weighs on the chest, shoulders on each other. Hold the lowest position for a few seconds. Then make a back movement: straighten your shoulders as much as possible, joining your shoulders and throwing your head back. The exercise is performed at a slow and smooth pace.
Osteochondrosis of the chest can develop very slowly, without long-term causing great concern, but as a result, the patient faces many limitations of his usual way of life and the fact that the standard of living is constantly falling. Therefore, if you feel the first feelings of discomfort and mild pain, you should consult a doctor.